The Dirty Truth About ED Pills (That No One’s Telling You)

When you receive a prescription for erectile dysfunction medications, you might think that all your sexual health problems are solved. Unfortunately, there’s something your doctor may not be telling you.

“The truth is, ED pills don’t work in every guy,” says Paul Thompson, M.D., a urologist and surgeon with over three decades of clinical experience. “They can also stop working in some guys, and are really a temporary crutch rather than a permanent solution. I’m honest with my patients about this so that they don’t have unrealistic expectations.”

A Revealing Study

In addition to Dr. Thompson’s own experience in clinical practice, he points to a study published in the Journal of Urology, which found that ED medications may stop working for many patients in two years or less.(1)(2) 

In the study, researchers conducted a telephone survey of 151 men who had filled prescriptions for an ED drug. They conducted the first survey within the first year the men began using the drug and then followed up with the men two years later.

At first, 74% of the men reported that 25 to 100 mg of the ED medication helped them maintain their erections. Most of the men needed 50 mg to 100 mg. In 26% of the men, the ED drug did not work at all.

Three years after the men started taking the ED pill, the researchers re-interviewed 82 of the men, and only 43 were still using the ED medication. Sixteen of those 43 men told the scientists that they had needed to increase the dosage by 50 mg in order for it to work. Another 17% of the men stopped taking the drug because it stopped working.

The ED medication had taken anywhere from one month to 18 months to stop working.

Why ED Pills Stop Working

There are reasons why ED drugs stop doing their job over time. Here are some explanations:

• Resistance to ED Pills – In this case, your tissues simply stop responding to the drug when they are exposed to it over a period of time. Scientists have a name for this. They call it tachyphylaxis. Your only choice at this point is to try an alternative to ED medications.(3) 

• Metabolic problems – Researchers have found that men who have high triglycerides combined with high blood sugar are more likely to be resistant to ED medications.(4) Men who did respond to ED pills had a significantly lower rate of diabetes. They also had a lower rate of metabolic syndrome, a condition that includes a cluster of symptoms, including high blood sugar, abdominal fat, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides. 

• Other health conditions – If you have other health conditions that are getting worse, such as liver or kidney disease, it can cause the ED drugs to stop working.(5)

• Low Vitamin D levels – In a study of men who had lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and erectile dysfunction who did not respond to treatment with ED medications, researchers measured the men’s vitamin D levels. They gave vitamin D3 and the ED pill to men who tested low on this nutrient. After one month of treatment with vitamin D3 and the ED pill, the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-EF) and International Prostate Symptom Scores significantly improved.(6)  

ED Pills Side Effects

“A lot of my patients stop using erectile dysfunction medications because of the drugs’ side effects,” says Dr. Thompson. “Even the mild side effects can be annoying.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, mild side effects of ED drugs include:(5)

• Skin flushing

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Blue tinge to vision, blurry vision, or sensitivity to light

• Stuffed-up or runny nose

• Back pain

• Dizziness

Serious ED medication side effects:(5)

• Hearing or vision loss

• An erection that doesn’t go away (called priapism)

An Alternative to ED Pills 

If ED pills don’t work for you or you just don’t want to deal with the side effects, Dr. Thompson recommends a type of ED therapy known as acoustic soundwave therapy. It’s also called low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy (Li-ESWT) or acoustic wave therapy. 

During Li-ESWT, gentle soundwaves penetrate penile tissue to improve sexual function. You can have this done in a clinic, but treatments are expensive at $500 or more per session. An at-home version is a fraction of the cost.

“I find that acoustic soundwave therapy produces long-lasting effects in virtually every man who comes in for treatments,” says Dr. Thompson. “You will eventually need touch-up sessions after the initial round, which is what makes an at-home acoustic soundwave therapy device convenient. Many of my patients use an at-home device, and report extremely satisfying results.”

Ditch the Temporary Crutch

In the end, ED pills are not a permanent solution. They often stop working within a couple of years, and for some men, they don’t work at all.

Acoustic soundwave therapy is a longer-lasting way to ensure strong erections. An at-home device that’s urologist-recommended can give you confidence in the bedroom for a long time to come. 

Sources:

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1121124/

2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11490248/ 

3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16611151/

4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39047768/

5. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/erectile-dysfunction/in-depth/erectile-dysfunction/art-20047821

6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35593536/